Apparatus for making staple fiber



Aug. 15, 1950 R. H. BARNARD APPARATUS FOR MAKING STAPLE FIBERS 2 Sheet's-Sheet- 1 Filed March 21, 1946 FIG.|

xnvemua RANDOLPH H. BARNARE ymjnuafymlw RTTURNEHJS 1950 R. H. BARNARD 2,518,744

APPARATUS FOR MAKING STAPLE FIBERS Filed March 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jaulmm 9407M ATTORNEYS Patented Au 15, 1950 U ITED STATES PATENT orrics .fififil'ifmiffi'lit mesnc Instruments, to Glass tel-ville, our.

liberalne wa- Application m :1, 1m. Serial No. cram 1 s cum. (Cl. 154-21) This invention relates to an apparatus for making staple and bulk fibers and to a method of collecting the fiber and distributing the same in uniform or non-uniform layers. Particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for making very lkht short-length fibers, particularly of glass, ,for producing heat insulating material which can be used as a bulk material or can be applied in ham, blankets, or boards.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for drawing fibers of material, particularly glass fibers, and breaking them into short lengths to produce a mat arrangement of the fibers for use particularly as heat insulating material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for drawing fibers, particularly from a body of glass, wherein the fibers are broken into short lengths and collected immediately thereafter for distribution in uniform layers to form bats or blankets of the material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an, improved apparatus and a method of producing bats or blankets of uniform thickness of short lengths of fibrous material, such as glass fiber, carried upon a sheet of backing material and applied thereto immediately after the drawing of the fibers and the breaking thereof so that the bats or blankets are formed in a continuous process, and which bats or blankets can be cut into predetermined sizes after forming thereof, or can be arranged in rolls of suitable length.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for producing bulk staple fibers of glass.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of an apparatus for producing staple fibers in accordance'with this invention and for distributing fibers in a uniform depth to produce bats or blankets of the fibers;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the furnace illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of a modified arrangement of apparatus for producing staple fibers and for collecting them as pro-- duced, and evenly distributing them to produce bats or blankets of the fibers;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of a' further modified arrangement of apparatus for producing staple fibers, particularly of glass, and

for collecting and evenly distributing the-fibers;

filaments of various materials produce excellent heat insulating qualities when they are manufactured in short lengths and matted into bats or blankets. The heat insulating value of the individual fibers will be relatively low, but the mass of matted fibers or filaments produce heat insulating qualities not found in the individual substances. This is particularly true of material such as fibers made of rock, glass, or other types of solid materials which have been drawn into fine filaments and broken into short lengths to produce staple fibers that can be arranged in a matted pad or blanket. Such materials are conventionally sold on the market under the names of rock wool or glass wool.

This invention is directed particularly to an improved apparatus for producing staple fibers of glass to produce the product known as glass wool. While glass is particularly referred to in this invention, it will be understood that other materials capable of being liquified and drawn into fine filaments in the manner referred to herein, can be substituted and used in the place of glass to accomplish like or similar purposes. Also, it is understood that the process is applicable to the production of metal wools wherein various metals or alloys thereof can be drawn and or crucible to bring the fibers into a generally matted condition. The collected fibers may then be discharge directly into suitable containers for use as bulk fiber, or'the fibers can be distributed from the collecting means over the surface of a carrier agent to form bats or blankets of relatively uniform thickness of the fibrous materials;

The bats or blankets thus formed are produced by a continuous process directly from the drawn fibers or filaments.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a heating crucible or furnace in which material can be heated to a molten condition. Fibers or filaments of material can then be drawn from the molten body of material within the furnace for subsequent collection and distribution as heretofore mentioned.

The furnace or crucible i0, may consist of a closed metal chamber H that preferably is constructed of platinum or a platinum alloy. The furnace it! has a converging bottom wall I2 that may be brought to an apex i3. Along the apex of the bottom wall !2, there is provided a. plurality of small openings or orifices l4 through which the molten material within the furnace I may exude.

The bottom wall of the furnace I!) may be heated by suitable electric heating means 05 which preferably consist of a'high frequency induction coil for heating the metal wall i2 of the furnace. The heating coil of the heating means is therefore connected to a suitable source of high frequency energy for this purpose.

The furnace it, may be fed with material for melting therein through a suitable opening is in the top wall thereof, and as illustrated in Figure 2, the material consists of a rod ll passing through the opening it. In this instance the rod H is a glass rod that rests upon a metal plate l8 supported within the furnace ill by means of a plurality of radially extending arms l9 secured to the side wall of the furnace Hi. The lower end of the glass rod I7 is heated by conduction and radiation from the body of molten glass within the furnace and the rod ll gradually settles into the furnace as the end thereof passes into a molten condition Any suitable means for feeding the rod ll downwardly into the furnace 10 can be provided, for example, a weight can be placed upon the upper end of the rod as illustrated in Figure 1 for the purpose of urging the rod downwardly into the furnace it.

The interior of the furnace l0 may be maintained under pressure to force the moltenglass from within the furnace. A pressure connection 21 may be provided in the furnace [0 for this purpose. The pressure maintained within the furnace I0 is controlled at a relatively constant value to establish and maintain a pressure differential between the interior of the furnace and the exterior thereof on the discharge side of the orifice openings M to cause the glass within the furnace H! to exude through the orifices H.

The glass rod I1 is preferably fed into the furnace H! at the same rate that the glass is discharged therefrom from the openings ll to maintain a relatively constant head of glass in the furnace. Suitable controls can be provided for regulating the rate of feeding of the glass rod to 25. The gaseous pressure conduits each contain a series of openings 26 therein that form a plurality of jets of gaseous material discharging from the conduits 25.

in the furnace l0. Thus, there-is produced within the area between the point of engagement of the angularly downwardly directed jets of gas dis- 4 charging from the nozzles 26 and the discharge end of the openings M an area of reduced presure caused by the downwardly acting jets from the conduits 25. The jets of gas discharging from the nozzles engage the glass exuding through the orifices l4 and draw the same in a downward movement into fine filaments. Also, since the jets discharging from the conduits 25 cross one another, a swirling gas motion is produced below the point of engagement of the gas streams by which the glass filaments are broken into short lengths as rapidly as formed, thus. the glass exuded from the orifice l4 and drawn into filaments by the jets discharging from the conduits 25 may be said to be blasted into short fine filaments or staple fiber.

Any suitable gaseous material can be used for producing the jets, such as air, acetylene, carbon dioxide, or any other inexpensive inert gas.

While it has heretofore been referred to that the openings 14 are in the form of orifices, inferring that they are small round holes, as illustrated in Figure 5, yet a similar result can be obtained by arranging the openings 14 in the form of narrow slots Ma as illustrated in Figure 7. In this instance, the ribbons of glass exuded through the openings 14a. will be drawn or blasted into short length fibers by the jets of gas discharging from the conduits 25.

The pressure maintained within the furnace Hi allows for maintaining a lower temperature of the body of molten glass within the furnace to obtain a predetermined flow of glass through the openings M. It has been found that a lower working temperature of the body of molten glass produces a higher strength in the filament drawn therefrom. A more full and complete disclosure of the method of drawing glass fibers or filaments by the use of a, pressure differential between the inlet side of the openings l4 and the outlet side of the same, is found in the applications of Everett J. Cook, Serial Nos. 634,284, filed December 11, 1945, and 634,285, filed December 11, 1945, now U. S. Patent No. 2,514,627, assigned to the assignee of this application.

The furnace or heating crucible illustrated in Figure 2 may be carried in a suitable apparatus for distributing the staple fibers produced therefrom upon a suitable carrier for manufacturin bats or'blankets of the material, such bats or blankets being used for heat insulating purposes.

Also, it will be understood that the fibers as produced by the furnace illustrated in Figure 2 can be collected in suitable containers and used as bulk fiber.

In Figure 1 the furnace III is provided with a pair of carrier members 30 each provided with suitable rolls or wheels 3! that are supported upon a pair of parallel tracks 32, thus suspending the furnace II from the tracks 32. The tracks 32 may be carried upon the machine frame members 33 that are positioned on opposite sides of the machine.

The machine frame members 33 are also adapted to support a. number of rolls or cylinders 3|, mounted upon bearing members 25 carried by the machine frame. An endless belt 36 extends between the cylinders 3|. Either of the cylinders 34' is driven by any suitable means for moving the belt at a relatively constant speed during operation of the machine. A suitable arrangement could be provided in the form of an electric motor with a conventional gear reducing drive to one of the cylinders H which may control the movement of -the-belt stony-desired speed deaura? pending upon the setting of the gear reducing drive. Any number of gear reducing drives are well known, such as the conventional transmission 'gears or hydraulic variable speed mechanisms or mechanical gear reducing mechanisms, any one of which can be used for the purpose of driving the belt 36 at a relatively constant speed.

A worm or screw 31 extends between the frame members 33 and passes through an internally threaded boss 33 attached to the furnace ill whereby rotation of the screw 31 alternately in opposite directions will cause the furnace ill to reciprocate between the frame members 33 and thereby move the furnace transversely across the belt 36. The worm or screw 31 may be driven from asuitable gear train from an electric v motor Ii which :may' be of the reversible type.

Suitable controls may be provided andactuated by the reciprocable movement of the furnace It to automatically cause the motor. 4| to alter nately change its direction of rotation when the furnace alternately-approaches opp site sides of the machine frame,'thus automatically causing the fin'nace II to traverse the belt 36. v

The heating element I! of the furnace ill 23 may be supplied with electric current from the conductors '32 extending between the machine frame members 33.} Suitable sliding contacts or roller contacts 43 are-carried by the furnace for engaging the conductors 42 during the recipro- 30 cable movement of the furnace ill.

Beneath the furnace it there is provided a' collecting chamber into which the staple fiber.

1 over the belt 36. The backing sheet may be a u to be continuously filled with stable fiber proheavy kraft paper .that is coated with awaterproofing agent in conventional'manner to prevent moisture absorption by the'pap'enf It is, of course, understood that other backing agents or materials can be used in place of the kraft paperreferredto. The backing sheet, or base sheet, is supplied in rollsjsuch as the roll 51 that is supported upon a suitable spindle 52 at one end ofthe endless belt 36. The sheet 50 is directed across- To cause the staple fiber to adhere to the surface of the sheet 50 an adhesive agent is supplied to the upper surface of the sheet 50. This adhesive agent may be distributed transversely across the width of the sheet 50 by means of a distributing head 51. The adhesive may be of any of the general. types conventionally used for the purpose, and may be the waterproofing agent used for waterproofing the paper sheet 50.

In any event, the adhesive agent applied upon the surface of the sheet 50 remains sufficiently tacky to allow the staple fiber directed upon the surface of'the sheet 50 to adhere thereto.

6 producing a heat insulating pad or blanket, consisting of a backing or base sheet and a uniform thickness of staple fiber, such-as glass fiber, the sheet 50 is moved across the belt 36, and if de- 5 sired, may be driven by the belt 36. As the sheet 50 passes beneath the fumace It, the furnace is reciprocated transversely across the sheet 56 to discharge staple fiber collected in the-collecting chamber 45 upon the surface of the sheet 60.

10 The thickness of the matting of staple fiber placed upon the surface of the sheet 53 is preferably determined by the speed of movement of the sheet 50 relative to the furnace III and the. number of passes that'the furnace l3 can make across 15 the sheet during the interval of time that any predetermined area is beneath the furnace II.

I It is quite apparentthat the entire thickness desiredin the blanket can be obtained by a single pass of the furnace across the sheet 50 or a thick- 26 nesslcan be one that is built up by numerous passes of the furnace across the sheet, depending directly upon the-quantity of staple fiber discharged from the furnace i6 and thickness desiredinthe'blanketii.

In Figure '4 there is illustrated a slightly modified'arrangement of, means for controlling the thickness of the mat of staple fiber that is allowed to collect uponthe surface of the sheet 50.

In the modified arrangement, the furnace i6 is of the sametype as heretofore described with "reference to Figures 1 and 2. The rolls 34 carry the belt 36 in the same manner as heretofore described and a backing or hue sheet 50 is carried over the belt 36 in substantially the same 35 manner as heretofore mentioned. The adhesive material may be supplied to the upper surface 56 of the sheet 50 by the same type of distributing head 6'! as described with reference to Figure 1.

o In the modified arrangement shown in Figure 4 the collecting chamber 45a extends from beneath the furnace M to a position immediately adjacent the belt 36 and the sheet 53 thereon. The collecting chamber is, therefore, adapted duced from the furnace ill so that there is at I all times, a substantial quantity of staple fiber within the collecting chamber 45a. The gaseous pressure discharging from the conduits 25 causes the staple fiber in the collecting chamber 45a to be discharged through the opening 6a, which ggening is-immediately above the backing sheet The collecting chamber 45a is provided with a rear wall 60 that is in close proximity to the surface of the sheet 56 to substantially prevent any discharge of staple fiber between the wall 60 and the sheet 53. The forward wall 6i of the collecting chamber 45a is positioned with the a lower edge thereof spaced from the upper surface of the sheet 50, thereby providing an opening 62 through which staple fiber may discharge 'from the collectlng'chamber 45a. Forward movement of-the' sheet 50, that is, movement in the .5 lefthand direction, as disclosed in Figure 4, will the position of anadjustable plate 63 carried upon the lower end of the front wall SI of the collecting chamber 45a.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modified arrangement of an apparatus for collecting the staple As illustrated in Figure l, in'the methodof 15 fiber as discharged from the furnace and for .tions I05. The openings I distributing the staple fiber in relatively uniform layers upona carrier sheet.

In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3, the furnace I0 is substantiallythe same as heretofore disclosed and described, the staple fiber being discharged beneath the conduits 25 in the same manner as heretofore disclosed.

The staple fiber, however, is discharged into a collecting-chamber I00 that is provided with a substantially cylindrical portion IN and a tapered chamber portion I02. A drum I03 is positioned within the cylindrical portion IOI of the collecting chamber I00 and carries a rotatable drum I04 thereon. The drum I04 is provided with a plurality of radially extending projections I00 that have the ends thereof in close proximity of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion IOI of the collecting chamber when the member I04 is rotated. The drum I04-is also provided with a plurality of radial openings I06 therein positioned between each of the projecprovide means through which air or other suitable gas under pressure can 'be discharged from a gas pressure chamber I01 positioned within the drum I03, suitable openings I00 being provided in the drum I03 to allow discharge of gas under pressure when the openings I00 align with the openings I00.

The tapered chamber portion I02 of the collecting chamber 100 may be provided with a stationary lower wall I00 and a movable upper wall III so thatan opening III provided between the walls I00 and H0 can be varied in width. The wall IIO may be carried upon a pivot -shaft II2 for the purpose of allowing adjustment thereof. v

The discharge opening II I from the chamber I02 is positioned adiacent an endless belt H as carried over the drum or roll I I5 supported upon the bearing supports III. A backing sheet, or

base sheet III may be carried over the endless belt II! in the same manner as heretofore referred to with reference to the backing sheet 50 and adhesive may be supplied to the upper or outer surface thereof The roll or drum IIO as well as the drum I04 may-be driven by an electric motor I20 by means of a belt I2I passing between the respective drums.

The staple fiber produced by and discharged from the furnace II of the apparatus shown in Figure 3, is collected upon the drum I04 between 'the teeth or protrusions I05 thereon. The staple ness. The matted pad discharged from the opening III will be immediately picked up by the backing member III and carried forward from the opening III, thereby forming a bat or blanket of staple fiber of uniform thickness which can be used for heat insulating purposes.

It is to be understood that if desired, the backing sheet can be omitted and thereby obtain a pad of staple fiber of uniform thickness that is being carried forward over the roll I".

I 8 discharged, directly upon the belt II5 which may be used for any purpose desired.

While the apparatus disclosed and described herein and the method performed by that ap paratus, constitute preferred forms of the invention, yet, it will be understood that the apparatus and the method performed thereby is capable of alteration without departing from the spirit of the inventiomand that all modifications that i heating chamber openings having discharge openings therein at opposite sides of the said heating chamber openings immediately at the discharge end of the said heating chamber openings and against the streams issuing from the said heating chamber openings directing angularly converging blasts of gas under high pressure upon opposite sides of the streams of molten material immediately at the discharge end of said openings as the streams issue from the openings, said streams of gas producing attenuation of the streams of molten material into filament-like fibers and simultaneously with said attenuation breaking the attenuated fibers into short fiber lengths, and wall means forming a closed gas pressure retaining collecting chamber in which said last-mentioned means is positioned at one end thereof whereby to collect the short-length fibers at their source of production, said wall means of said collecting chamber converging in the direction of movement of the fibers through the chamber reducing the transverse cross-sec tion of the chamber regularly toward the discharge and thereof, to retard the discharge of fibers from the chamber and build up a collection of fibers of substantial depth in the discharge end of said collecting chamber, said gas introduced into said collecting means producing pres sure within said chamber acting on said collected fibers to compact the fibers to a determined density in the discharge end of said collecting chamber and forcefully move the so-c'ompacted fibers from the collecting chamber in a mat of determined density and of a size equal to that of the discharge opening of said chamber.

2. Apparatus for producing staple fiber that consists of, a heating chamber for receiving and maintaining a material in a molten condition and having a plurality of openings in one wall thereof through which the molten material is exuded, gas conducting means at opposite sides of said heating chamber openings having discharge openings therein at opposite sides of the said heating chamber openings immediately at the discharge end of the said heating chamber openings and against the streams issuing from the said heating chamber openings directing angularly converging blasts of gas under high pressure upon opposite sides of the streams of molten material immediately at the discharge end of said openings as the streams issue from the openings, said streams of gas producing attenuation of the streams of molten material into filament-like fibers and simultaneously with said attenuation breaking the attenuated fibers into wall means of said collecting chamber converging in the direction of movement of the fibers through the chamber reducing the transverse cross-section of the chamber regularly toward the discharge end thereof to retard the discharge of fibers from the chamber and build up a collection of fibers of substantial depth in the discharge end of said collecting chamber, said gas introduced into said collecting means producing pressure within said chamber acting on said collected fibers whereby to compact the fibers to a determined density in the discharge end of said collecting chamber and forcefully move the socompacted fibers from the collecting chamber in a mat of determined density and of a size equal to that of the discharge opening of said chamher, at least one of said walls of said collectin chamber being movable relatively to the other of said walls whereby to change the cross-sectional area of the discharge opening of said chamber.

3. Apparatus for producing a fibrous mat that includes, a heating chamber for. receiving and maintaining a material in a molten condition and having a plurality of openings in one wall thereof through which the molten material is exuded,

gas conducting means at opposite sides of said ings and against the streams issuing'from the said heating chamber openings directing angularly converging blasts of gas under high pressure upon opposite sides of the streams of molten material immediately at the discharge end of said and having a plurality of openings in one wall thereof through which the molten material is exuded, gas conducting means at opposite sides of said heating chamber openings having discharge openings therein at opposite sides of the" said heating chamber openings immediately at the discharge end of the said heating chamber openings and against the streams issuing from the said heating chamber openings directing angularly converging blasts of gas underhigh' pressure upon opposite sides of the streams of molten material immediately at the discharge end of said openings as the streams isue from the openings, said streams of gas producing attenuation of the streams of molten material into filament-like fibers and simultaneously with said attenuation breaking the attenuated fibers into short fiber lengths, wall means forming a closed gas pressure retaining collecting chamber in which said last-mentioned means-is positioned at one endthereof whereby to collect the shortlength fibers at their source of production, said wall means of said collecting chamber converging in the direction of movement of the fibers through the chamber ralucing the transverse cross-section of the chamber regularly toward the discharge end thereof to retard the discharge of fibers from the chamber and build up apressure within said chamber acting on said. collected'fibers whereby to compact the fibers to a determined density in the discharge end of said collecting chamber and forcefully move the socompacted fibers from the collecting chamber in a mat .of-determined density and of a size equal to that ofthe discharge opening of said chamber, means for moving a backing sheet adjacent the discharge end of said collecting chamber to receive the fibers in their compacted form diopenings as the streams issue from the openings,

said streams of gas producing attenuation of the streams of molten material into filament-like fibers and simultaneously with said attenuation breaking the attenuated fibers into short fiber lengths, and :wall' means forming a closed gas pressure retaining collecting chamber in which said last-mentioned means is positioned at one end thereof whereby to collect the short-length fibers at their source of production, said wall means of said collecting chamber converging in the direction of movement of the fibers through the chamber reducing the transverse cross-section of the chamber regularly toward the discharge end thereof to retard the discharge of fibers from the chamber and bufld up a collection of'fibers of substantial depth in the discharge end of said collecting chamber, said gas introduced into said collecting means producing pressure within said chamber acting on said collected fibers whereby to compact the fibers to a determined density in the discharge end of said collecting chamber and forcefully move the socompacted fibers from the collecting chamber in a mat of determined density and of a size equal to that of the discharge-opening of said chamber, means for moving a backing sheet adjacent the discharge end of said collecting chamber to receive the fibers in their compacted form directly from the discharge opening of said collecting chamber at the predetermined mat density.

4. Apparatus for producing staple fiber that consists of, a heating chamber for receiving and maintaining a material in a "molten condition thereof through which the. molten material is exuded, gas conducting means at opposite sides 'of said heating chamber openings having discharge. openings therein at opposite sides of the said heating chamber openings immediately at the discharge end of the said heating chamber openings and against the streams isuing' from i the said heating chamber openings directing angularly converging blasts of gas under high pressure upon opposite sides of the streams of molten material immediately at the discharge end of said openings as the streams issue from the openings, said streams of gas producing attenuation of the streams of molten material into filament-like fibers and simultaneously with said attenuation breaking the attenuated fibers into short fiber lengths, wall means forming a closed gas pressure retaining collecting chamber in which said last-mentioned means is positioned at one end thereof whereby to collect the shorting in the direction of movement of the fibers through the chamber reducing the transverse to that of the discharge opening of said chamber, 1

at least one of said walls of said collecting chamber being movable relatively to the other of said walls whereby to change the cross-sectional area of the discharge opening of said chamber, means for moving a backing sheet adjacent the discharge end of said collecting chamber to receive the fibers in their compacted form directly from the discharge opening of said collecting chamber at the predetermined mat density, and means for applying an adhesive material upon said backing sheet on the side thereof to receive said fibers priortothetimesaidflbersarereceivedbysaid sheet.

RANDOLPH H. BARNARD.

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